


The Private Lives of Princes

by Arsenic



Category: Kings (TV 2009)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-01 23:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2792291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arsenic/pseuds/Arsenic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucinda knows the exact moment she fell for Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Private Lives of Princes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plinys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plinys/gifts).



> Unbeta'ed because treat. Hope you like, treatee.

She's never been smart, not when it comes to love. She remembers the exact moment she fell in love with Jack Benjamin. It wasn't immediate, but it was instantaneous.

They'd been on three or four "dates" before it happened. Dates with Jack were always state affairs, things where he needed someone on his arm, and she knew, she knew something was off. She told herself to move on, that she could do better, she could find something _real_.

Then she accompanies him to a State picnic. It's to celebrate the anniversary of the king and queen, but Lucinda hasn't paid much attention to that. Mostly, it sounds like fun. Good food, sunshine, getting to wear a new sundress, a day in the park. And honestly, despite not being all that compelling, Jack's pleasant to look at.

Plus, it's outdoors—she can wear flats. Climbing trees is probably out at her age, but if she can get away, maybe…

In any case, she accepts the invitation, despite mostly being done with acting as Jack's public arm ornament. They're hanging out together, eating caramel popcorn when Jack stiffens, looking at something behind her back. She asks, "Jack?"

"Just—just give me a second, all right?"

She lets him go for all of a second. But she sees him stalking after a group of kids and curiosity gets the better of her. She runs a little after him. It's not dignified, not worthy of a Wolfson, but it feels damn good.

By the time she catches up, she hears him tearing a piece of hide from the pack of kids and for a second is about to interfere when what he's saying catches up to her. "…something weaker than you? Yeah, real funny. Get the hell away from it, and don't _dare_ let me catch you trying something like this again."

It's then that Lucinda sees what he's talking about. In the middle of the cluster of children is a cat. It's a mangy looking thing, a tortoise with an ear half-ripped off. Its eyes have the look of a creature trapped and terrified. 

Once the kids have fled, Jack gets on his knees and approaches the cat cautiously. It flees, unsurprisingly. For a moment, Jack's shoulders fall, just a fleeting second, before he straightens out, once again the king's son. And in that moment, Lucinda tumbles.

*

It takes a while for Jack to really notice she's in the room with him. Or, well, to acknowledge it. And she should hate him for it, she should. She knows, but her head and her heart have always been miles apart. She doesn't hate him. She…well, the worst of it is that she kind of understands. If she'd been in love with someone else, she might have felt the same way.

He never talks about it, but she knows the signs. She's known for a while exactly why he'd never be hers, and it's strangely reassuring. It's nothing to do with her, and that's something. It's a lot, really.

When he calms down enough to realize he needs company or he's going to go insane, he runs his hand through his hair and says sheepishly, "Hey."

She says, "Hey."

"I, uh."

She considers giving him shit. She doesn’t completely throw away the thought. He deserves it. But at the moment he looks like that damn cat. She says, "You like cats."

He blinks at her. "Um. Yeah. Yeah, I wanted one as a kid, but pets, uh, not really dignified for the heir apparent."

He says it casually, like it means nothing. She remembers being a little girl, though, and wanting a puppy and being told essentially the same thing. Little girls didn't romp around in the mud with puppies, especially not little Wolfson girls. She smiles. "Been there, done that."

He chews on his bottom lip for a moment and then comes and sits on the bed. Cautiously, she comes and sits next to him. He stills for a second, but then relaxes. After a second, he laughs a little. "Cats, huh?"

"First time I kinda thought there might be something to you other than a nice pair of eyes," she admits.

He barks laughter at that, rich and full and she knows she's still lost. He says, "Eyes, huh?"

"Well," she grins, "there's no doubt I'm the one with legs in this relationship."

He knocks into her with his shoulder. "Yeah. Yeah, no doubt."


End file.
